2008

 

 

 

THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

 

 

 

SENATE

 

 

 

GREAT BARRIER REEF MARINE PARK AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL 2008

 

 

SUPPLEMENTARY EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

 

 

Amendments to be Moved on Behalf of the Government

 

 

(Circulated by authority of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts,

the Honourable Peter Garrett AM MP)

 

 

 

EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENT

 

1.   Item 1 inserts a definition of geological storage operations and is required as a consequence of Items 2 - 5.

 

2.   Items 2 - 5 establish a prohibition on the geological storage of greenhouse gases in the Great Barrier Reef Region.  Currently, mining and drilling is prohibited in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park ( Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 section 38) and Region (Great Barrier Reef (Prohibition of Mining) Regulations 1999 ).  This prohibition was established before geological storage of greenhouse gases was contemplated.  The Australian Government does not intend allowing greenhouse gas storage in the Great Barrier Reef.  This amendment provides clarity and certainty regarding this position.  The prohibition is achieved by extending the current prohibition on mining operations also to include “geological storage operations”.